Treasure Trove: Anthology 1975-2005

Sailor return to port with a Treasure Trove of music with this excellent two-CD compilation celebrating the navvies' 30th anniversary. As with all Angel Air releases, it's a stunning set, whose liner notes trace the band's long history, as well as annotating the entire set. But, as too often the case, the booklet trades exactitude for enthusiasm, particularly in the recording dates of songs. The set is not arranged chronologically, nor is it always clear when or where a number recorded, making for a bouncy, sometimes foggy journey. There again, Sailor were always eagerly tacking to and from musically, boating into previously uncharted waters (for them at least), docking at myriad genre ports along the way. Of course, Treasure Trove includes all three of the band's British hits, several of their European ones, alongside album tracks, early versions of popular songs, later re-cuts, live, studio, and demo material, culled from the decades and lineups along the way. The band's earliest demos and tracks intended for their projected but never released seventh album TV Land are the real jewels within for fans, but there's plenty more unusual old and new music to explore. A must for every Sailor fan.